Total Hammock Enclosure Sack

ABSTRACT

A hammock enclosure sack made of fabric. The hammock enclosure sack can enclose a generally cylindrical volume and is open on the ends with a head-end opening opposite of a foot-end opening. The hammock enclosure sack has a top half and a bottom half. A head-end closure attached to the head-end opening where the head-end closure includes a draw string. A foot-end closure attached to the foot-end opening, and the foot-end closure includes a draw string.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.62/574,565, filed Oct. 19, 2017

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to outdoor camping equipment,and more particularly, to a hammock enclosure sack to protect anoccupant from the elements and insects.

Background of the Invention

The elements (for example wind, rain, dew, snow and cold) and insectsare issues for individuals outdoors in hammocks, and other outdoorpersonal sleeping devices such as sleeping bags. Hammocks are comprisedof thin materials and are open to the elements and do little to protectthe person inside from the elements. The parts of a body that arepressed against the hammock can get uncomfortable from cold, insectbites, water etc.

Hammocks with elaborate, built-in tarp systems, are inconvenient forpeople in sleeping bags a.k.a. ground sleepers, and persons in survivalsituations

Hammocks by default are fully exposed, uncovered, and susceptible togetting drenched with rain, covered in snow, and open to bugs. Currentoptions to protect an outdoor hammock include a built-in rain tarp orbug netting system or setting up a separate tarp cover above thehammock, but these systems are expensive, bulky, heavy, cumbersome andmessy. These systems are elaborate and can include zippers, snaps,Velcro, tie-down tarp cords, and cord ground stakes. These existing raintarp systems take time to set up, have cords that can get tangled, andbecome tripping hazards when staked to the ground.

Hammocks by themselves offer minimal protection—people use tarps tocompensate, which need to be supported via ropes and ground stakes, butthey still leave the hammock vulnerable to the elements. More elaborate,costlier hammocks with built-in tarp systems, are supported via one maincenter line and with several tie-down cords that are either tied to treebranches, to the ground via ground stakes, or to the hammock itself.These built in hammock tarp systems can be cumbersome, tripping hazards,and still leave the hammock exposed to wind, moisture, and insects.

Existing, built-in hammock rain tarp systems can still leave the hammocksusceptible to winds/mist/bugs and can potentially become unstable,flapping open to the elements and leaving the user exposed. Thesesystems are also dependent on their surroundings as well, as the lengthof the tie-down ropes are limited to what they can tie to, limiting easeof set up or offer no set-up at all. And they still leave the hammockpartially exposed. Rain tarps, whether part of the hammock system orpurchased independently, do not offer 360-degree protection from wind,mist, insects or the cold. Sleeping bag covers, a.k.a. bivvy sacks, arerestrictive and cover only the sleeping bag, whether on the ground orwithin a hammock, leaving the person and hammock open to the elements.

Bivvy sacks (bivouac sack) encompass only the sleeping bag, nothingelse. Bivvy sacks also don't completely encompass the entire person,leaving the persons head partially exposed to the elements. A drawbackof a bivvy sack is the humidity that condenses on the inside, leavingthe occupant or the sleeping bag moist. Moisture severely decreases theinsulating effect of the sleeping bags

People in survival situations rely on survival blankets, which merelywrap around the person's head and torso, leaving their face, legs andbottoms poorly covered and partially exposed.

What is needed is a quick to setup solution that protects an individualfrom the elements or insects or both.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure describes a hammock enclosure sack made offabric. The hammock enclosure sack can enclose a generally cylindricalvolume and is open on the ends with a head-end opening opposite of afoot-end opening. The hammock enclosure sack may have a top half and abottom half connecting the two ends. A head-end closure may be attachedto the head-end opening where the head-end closure includes a drawstring. A foot-end closure may be attached to the foot-end opening, andthe foot-end closure may include a draw string.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a conceptual view of a hammock enclosure sacksurrounding a hammock with the ends open.

FIG. 2A illustrates a conceptual view of a harsh weather hammockenclosure sack made out of waterproof breathable material.

FIG. 2B illustrates a conceptual view of a mesh hammock enclosure sack.

FIG. 2C illustrates a conceptual view of a reversible hammock enclosuresack with a top half made with mesh and a bottom half being made ofwaterproof breathable material.

FIGS. 3A, 3B, 3C and 3D illustrates steps that may be used to put thehammock enclosure sack on a hammock.

FIGS. 4A, 4B and 4C illustrates the steps a hammock occupant would taketo use the hammock enclosure sack.

FIG. 5 illustrates a hammock enclosure occupant in a hammock enclosuresack with the top made of mesh and with a ceiling line.

FIG. 6A illustrates the ceiling line being tied to a tree.

FIG. 6B illustrates the ceiling line being tied to the hammock supportline.

FIG. 7 illustrates a spreader that can be used with a double ceilingline.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 illustrates a conceptual view 100 of a hammock enclosure sack 102that is capable of generally being cylindrically shaped surrounding ahammock 104 with a head-end opening 106 and a foot-end opening 108. Thehead-end opening 106 has a head-end closure shown as a head-enddrawstring 110. The foot-end opening 108 has a foot-end closure shown asa foot-end drawstring 112.

The hammock enclosure sack 102 guards an occupant against the elements,and also may help retain body heat. The hammock enclosure sack 102 maybe completely independent from the hammock 104. The hammock enclosuresack 102 may be composed of weatherproof, water-resistant, rainproof,waterproof, breathable, snow-proof, windproof, insect-resistant,flexible, and tear-resistant material or materials. The hammockenclosure sack 102 is all-encompassing, and provides full 360-degreeprotection and may not need any extra supports. The hammock enclosuresack 102 provides the hammock and occupant protection from insects andthe elements.

The hammock enclosure sack 102 may be lightweight and may be rolled orfolded to provide a minimal packing footprint for example for storage.The hammock enclosure may be quickly readied by unfolding it orunrolling it.

The hammock enclosure sack 102 may be constructed as a single piece ofmaterial folded over on itself and secured to itself along the long end,for example by sewing a seam. Or more than one piece of material may beused to create the hammock enclosure sack 102. For example the hammockenclosure sack 102 may be made out of two sheets of material. The sheetsof material may be big enough to fully encompass a hammock, for example12 feet long by 5 feet wide. The material may be weather proof material.The material may be a fabric. The materials may be fastened together bysewing or any other means to make a permanent seam. Sewing may be doneusing heavy duty polyester thread.

Some of the material of the hammock enclosure sack 102 may be forventilation, for example using a heavy-duty mesh ventilation fabric. Theventilation fabric may be located in any number of locations, forexample bi-laterally or on the bottom of the hammock enclosure sack.

Some of the material of the hammock enclosure sack 102 may besee-through, for example a clear vinyl window, marine-grade vinyl or amesh fabric or the like to provide the user an “open sky” window view ofthe surroundings.

The encircling enclosure may have an “open sky” vinyl see-throughwindow, which may be sewn across the entire face area of the Hammockenclosure sack, and can provide the user full views of the surroundings.The Hammock enclosure sack 102 works the same for ground sleepers withsleeping bags and persons in survival situations. The nature of theHammock enclosure sack 102 is to repel water and guard against wind andinsects, keeping the person protected, warm and dry and worry free.Because the Hammock enclosure sack 102 encompasses the user 360-degreesfrom head to toe, they are fully protected from the elements.

The materials that the hammock enclosure sack 102 is made out of may beavailable in 60 inch wide bulk rolls. The material may be in varioussolid colors or have patterns printed on them. Weather resistant bugscreen may be used as part of the top of the hammock enclosure sack 120,this embodiment would be useful in hot/warm conditions. Thicker, warmermaterials may be used on embodiments for chilly weather camping. Thematerials may be rolled out and cut into two 12 foot long sheets. The 2sheets of material can then be laid on top of each other, squared up,and first sewn together along the edge of one of the long sides. Oncethe long side edge is sewn together, the panel may be opened up, like abook, which in a particular embodiment may be 10′×12′. Next, short endsedges may be folded over, or folded under, by 4 inches and sewn tocreate the tunnel for the drawstrings. Next, the two sheets can befolded back so one is on top of the other and the other long side edgeof the panel may be sewn, which now creates an enclosure with openingson the ends, specifically a head-end opening and a foot-end opening. Thedrawstrings may be inserted through the tunnels at both the head-endopening and foot-end opening of the sack. Once the drawstrings are fedentirely through, the ends of the drawstrings may have barrel clampsplaced on them. The barrel clamps can lock down the drawstrings whenthey are cinched tight, for example cinched tight against the hammocksupport line. The hammock enclosure sack 102 may be turned inside out sothe seams are on the inside.

A window of a certain size may be cut out of the hammock enclosure sackat either the bottom or lower lateral sides, whereby mesh material maybe permanently sewn over the opening(s) to provide ventilation. In oneembodiment a window of a certain size may be cut out near the head-endto make a “window” for the hammock enclosure sack 102 using asee-through clear vinyl or water-resistant mesh material that can beplaced onto the material's surface and sewn in place.

The ends of the hammock enclosure sack 102 may have end closures, forexample ropes going through a tunnel or sleeve sewed on the end of thematerial, as described above. The ropes may be sewn into thecircumference of the sack head-end opening and foot-end opening. Theropes may be secured at one end of the sleeve, for example by sewing theropes into the material with ropes traveling through the sleeve and outa hole or two that the ropes comes such that pulling the two stringscloses up the opening. Alternatively a single rope may be used. Thesingle rope maybe stitched half way around the tunnel to the material.Specifically the ropes may be two 70 inch length ropes and 2 singledrawstring holes. The closure may gather the material to close it in onthe hammock support line. The closure may be used to pull the endtogether till it is completely closed around the hammock support line.

A securing mechanism may be used to hold the pull strings with theopening is drawn closed. For example the securing mechanism may be apush-button barrel clamp, cord stop or any other mechanism to hold thedrawstrings snug against the drawstring hole. Alternatively the head-endclosure or foot-end closure may use straps with cam locks, rubber bands,bungee cords, a one-way lashing cam lock, Velcro, double D loop or anymeans that can be constructed that allows the material to be gathered orcinched against a hammock support line.

The foot-end opening may be large enough for a rope to go through, buttoo small for a carabineer to go through. In that way the hammockenclosure sack 102 may be placed on the foot-end of the hammock andstopped from sliding any further. Alternatively a carabineer could beattached to the foot-end opening of the sack by latching on a loop sewninto the foot-end opening, or there could be a hook or carabineer thatis attached to a pre-gathered foot-end opening of the hammock enclosuresack 102 where the pre-gathered foot-end opening may be permanently ortemporarily gathered.

In another embodiment the foot-end opening may be attached to the footend of the hammock 104.

A heavy-duty mold resistant, mesh fabric may be sewn onto the sackeither bilaterally or one at the bottom to serve as ventilationwindow(s). Heavy duty weatherproof stitching may be used to sew materialpieces together.

The hammock enclosure sack 102 can be used anywhere and at any time andfor any condition within reason. With the hammock enclosure sack 102,hammock users do not have to fear inclement or unpredictable weather. Ahammock user can fully appreciate and enjoy the outdoors without fear ofgetting wet if it rains during the night. The Hammock enclosure sack 102offers peace-of-mind and worry-free sleep and protection form theelements and insects.

FIG. 2A shows an illustration 200 of a conceptual view of a harshweather hammock enclosure sack 202 made out of waterproof breathablematerial. In the harsh weather hammock enclosure sack 202 embodiment twosheets of waterproof breathable material may be sewn together to formthe hammock enclosure sack.

Waterproof may be measured by the amount of water, in millimeters (mm),which can be suspended above the fabric before the water seeps through.For example, if a material can withstand a pressure of over 1,000 mm ofwater without leaking then its waterproof rating would be 1000 mm. Thematerial used to construct the hammock enclosure sack 102 may have aminimum waterproof rating of above 500 mm, more appropriate would be awaterproof rating of 1000 mm, good is a waterproof rating of 5000 mm,better is a waterproof rating of 20,000 mm and best is a waterproofrating above 20,000 mm.

Breathability or moisture vapor transmission rate may be measured by therate at which water vapor passes through, in grams of water vapor persquare meter of fabric per 24-hour period (g/m2/d), often abbreviated tojust “g”. The material may have a minimum breathability rating of 300 g,more appropriate is a breathability rating of 5,000 g, better is abreathability rating of 20,000 g or best is a breathability rating above20,000 g.

FIG. 2B shows an illustration 220 of a conceptual view of a mesh hammockenclosure sack 222 made with mesh material. The mesh material may besee-through material. The see-through mesh material may keep out thebugs. The mesh hammock enclosure sack 222 may provide maximumventilation and be good to use on a hot day.

The mesh material may have a mesh size of 1.2 millimeters (0.047 in)which is desirable to stop mosquitoes, or smaller mesh size, such as 0.6millimeters (0.024 in) to stops other biting insects such as bitingmidges/no-see-ums.

FIG. 2C shows an illustration 240 of a conceptual view of a reversiblehammock enclosure sack 242 with a mesh side 244 and a waterproofbreathable side 246. The reversible hammock enclosure sack 242 may haveone part of the two pieces that are sewn together be mesh to keep outbugs and the other part be waterproof and breathable. In warm rainlessconditions the mesh side may be pointed up to provide the occupant witha good view of the surroundings but keeping away unwanted insects. Whenit is raining, then the waterproof breathable side 246 may be turned upto keep the occupant dry. An occupant of the reversible hammockenclosure sack 242 may change which side is up without having to get outof the hammock and while remaining in the reversible hammock enclosuresack 242 by grabbing the material and rotating it manually.

When the reversible hammock enclosure sack 242 is used by a groundsleeper, for example the occupant of a sleeping bag, then the waterproofbreathable side 246 may be placed on the ground and provide isolationfrom the ground for example isolation from the ground's moisture.

The hammock enclosure sack 102 may start rolled up in which case theuser would unroll the hammock enclosure sack 102. For hammock users, theuser may insert the foot end hammock tree support line through thehammock enclosure sack 102 and pull it all the way through the hammockenclosure sack 102, and then secure the head end hammock support line toa tree. The user may then take the foot-end closure and close thefoot-end opening tightly so the foot-end opening is cinched around thehammock tree support line. A line may be a rope, strap or otherequivalent.

FIGS. 3A, 3B, 3C and 3D illustrates a set of steps that may be used toput the hammock enclosure sack 102 on a hammock 104. FIG. 3A shows ascene 300 with a user gathering the hammock enclosure sack 102 so thereis an opening to pass the hammock 104 support line through. FIG. 3Bshows a scene 320 with the user passing the head-end of the hammock 104line through the hammock enclosure sack 102. Next, FIG. 3C shows a scene340 with the hammock user securing the hammock head end line to anopposite tree. Using a securing mechanism like a barrel clamp, thedrawstring cord may be locked into place. This will provide not only asealed foot end, but also provides the “anchor” for the hammock occupantto complete the installation of the hammock enclosure sack 102, as showin FIGS. 4A, 4B and 4C. Alternatively, the hammock foot-end line may bepassed through the hammock enclosure sack 102 first and then the hammockmay be attached to the trees.

Alternatively, the foot-end opening may already be gathered. Or thefoot-end may not have a gathering mechanism but instead be permanentlygathered or already in a closed position.

FIGS. 4A, 4B and 4C illustrates the steps a hammock occupant may do touse the hammock enclosure sack 102. FIG. 4A shows a scene 400 of ahammock user nested in the hammock 104 and using both hands, theoccupant can pull the hammock enclosure sack 102 up and over. FIG. 4Bshows a scene 420 of the occupant pulling the hammock enclosure sack 102over the hammock 104, and themselves. The head-end opening of thehammock enclosure sack 102 can be closed off from inside the hammockenclosure sack via the head-end closure, for example a drawstring, whichcloses the head-end opening snugly against the hammock support line. Forexample, closing so the head-end opening is less than a quarter inch indiameter, or closing the head-end opening to leave an opening of lessthan 1 inch in diameter.

Once an occupant is in the hammock, the occupant may grab the hammockenclosure sack 102 head opening and draw it over themselves and thelength of the hammock 104. The occupant is now inside the hammockenclosure sack. The occupant may use the head-end closure to close thehead-end opening onto the hammock line. The head-end closure is designedto close the head-end opening from within the sack, for example with adrawstring closure where the drawstring is pulled into the closure andonce the material is gathered then it can be kept closed using aretaining mechanism like a push button barrel clamp. The occupant andhammock are now fully encompassed and protected from the elements by thehammock enclosure sack 102 where they hammock enclosure sack 102 maykeep them dry, bug free, warm and comfy with adequate ventilation beingprovided either by the breathable fabric or via the mesh window(s). Forextra air flow, the head-end and foot-end closure may be opened some.

To use the hammock enclosure sack 102 for those sleeping on the ground,for example in sleeping bags, first an occupant needs to use thefoot-end closure to close the foot-end opening of the hammock enclosuresack 102. For example, use a foot-end draw-string to tightly close thefoot-end opening of the sack before the person gets into the Hammockenclosure sack. The person will then get into the sleeping bag and withboth hands, grab the Hammock enclosure sack 102 and wiggle themselvesand their sleeping bag into the sack until they are encompassed. Oncecompletely inside the sack, the person can cinch the head-end drawstring from inside. For a person in a survival situation, he or she willfirst cinch the foot end drawstrings tightly closed. Next, he or shewill step into the sack and with both hands, pull the sack overthemselves. Once the person is totally encompassed, the person can thencinch the head end drawstring of the sack closed.

FIG. 5 shows an illustration 500 of a hammock enclosure occupant in thereversible hammock enclosure sack 242 with a ceiling line 262. Theceiling line 262 can create the top of an “A” frame. When an occupant ispulling the hammock enclosure sack 102 over the hammock and themselvesthey may also be pulling the hammock enclosure sack over any ceilingsupport lines.

FIG. 6A illustrates a reversible hammock enclosure sack 242 with aceiling line 262 tied to the trees. After the hammock is securely hungto trees on both ends, the user may install a ceiling support line byfirst looping it around the foot end tree, then bringing it through thereversible hammock enclosure sack 242 and tying it tightly around thehead end tree. FIG. 6B illustrates a reversible hammock enclosure sack242 with the ceiling line 262 tied to the hammock support line.

For a more roomy experience, a user can use a double ceiling supportline along with a spreader bar to provide a ceiling inside the hammockenclosure sack 102. The spreader bar is added between the two lines,spreading them apart to open the sack further to create more open spacearound the head and torso.

FIG. 7 is an illustration of a spreader bar as a collapsible spreaderbar 700 that can be used with a double ceiling line. The collapsiblespreader bar 700 may be composed of ends 702 and 704 that fit in acoupling 706.

A double ceiling support line may be a stretch cord line. A doubleceiling support line may can serve along with the collapsible spreaderbar 700 to create a ceiling that the hammock enclosure sack 102 hangsfrom.

The user may place the collapsible spreader bar 700 into the sack withineasy reach before they climb into the hammock. The hammock enclosuresack 102 can be further opened or expanded in order to keep the walls ofthe sack further off of the hammock, which can be done from inside thehammock enclosure sack 102. From inside the hammock enclosure sack 102,the collapsible spreader bar 700 may be positioned between the twoceiling support lines in order to spread the hammock enclosure sack 102further off of the hammock walls, creating a sort of ceiling in thehammock enclosure sack 102 and providing an internal support structurewithin the sack that creates a more roomy experience.

The hammock enclosure sack 102 may have pockets, on the inside, forexample in the corners where ends of flexible poles may be placed toexpand up the top of the hammock enclosure when the hammock enclosure ison the ground. The material top and bottom may be waterproof andbreathable and provide an additional enclosure to help keep the occupantor sleeping bag occupant warm yet comfortable with the structure of thehammock enclosure sack as described above with proper ventilation,breathable yet waterproof material.

With regard to the processes, systems, methods, heuristics, etc.described herein, it should be understood that, although the steps ofsuch processes, etc. have been described as occurring according to acertain ordered sequence, such processes could be practiced with thedescribed steps performed in an order other than the order describedherein. It further should be understood that certain steps could beperformed simultaneously, that other steps could be added, or thatcertain steps described herein could be omitted. In other words, thedescriptions of processes herein are provided for the purpose ofillustrating certain embodiments, and should in no way be construed soas to limit the claims.

Accordingly, it is to be understood that the above description isintended to be illustrative and not restrictive. Many embodiments andapplications other than the examples provided would be apparent uponreading the above description. The scope should be determined, not withreference to the above description, but should instead be determinedwith reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope ofequivalents to which such claims are entitled. It is anticipated andintended that future developments will occur in the technologiesdiscussed herein, and that the disclosed systems and methods will beincorporated into such future embodiments. In sum, it should beunderstood that the application is capable of modification andvariation.

All terms used in the claims are intended to be given their broadestreasonable constructions and their ordinary meanings as understood bythose knowledgeable in the technologies described herein unless anexplicit indication to the contrary is made herein. In particular, useof the singular articles such as “a,” “the,” “said,” etc. should be readto recite one or more of the indicated elements unless a claim recitesan explicit limitation to the contrary.

The Abstract of the Disclosure is provided to allow the reader toquickly ascertain the nature of the technical disclosure. It issubmitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpretor limit the scope or meaning of the claims. In addition, in theforegoing Detailed Description, it can be seen that various features aregrouped together in various embodiments for the purpose of streamliningthe disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted asreflecting an intention that the claimed embodiments require morefeatures than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as thefollowing claims reflect, inventive subject matter lies in less than allfeatures of a single disclosed embodiment. Thus the following claims arehereby incorporated into the Detailed Description, with each claimstanding on its own as a separately claimed subject matter.

What is claimed is:
 1. A hammock enclosure sack comprising: a enclosuremade of flexible material where the enclosure encircles a volume and isopen on the ends with a head-end opening opposite of a foot-end opening,a head-end closure attached to the head-end opening, and a foot-endclosure attached to the foot-end opening.
 2. The hammock enclosure sackof claim 1 where the enclosure can be expanded into a generalcylindrical shape.
 3. The hammock enclosure sack of claim 1 where thehead-end closure can bring the head-end opening closed small enough tobe snug on a hammock support line.
 4. The hammock enclosure sack ofclaim 3 where the foot-end closure can bring the head-end opening closedsmall enough to be snug on a hammock support line.
 5. The hammockenclosure sack of claim 1 where some of the flexible material iswaterproof and breathable.
 6. The hammock enclosure sack of claim 5where some of the flexible material is see-through mesh.
 7. The hammockenclosure sack of claim 1 where some of the flexible material issee-through mesh and also keeps bugs out.
 8. The hammock enclosure sackof claim 1 further comprising a ceiling line that passes through thehead-end opening and foot-end opening.
 9. The hammock enclosure sack ofclaim 8 further comprising a second ceiling line a spreader, where thespread is between the ceiling line and the second ceiling line.
 10. Ahammock enclosure sack comprising: a enclosure made of fabric where theenclosure encircles a volume and is open on the ends with a head-endopening opposite of a foot-end opening, and a head-end closure attachedto the head-end opening.
 11. The hammock enclosure sack of claim 10where the head-end closure includes a draw string.
 12. The hammockenclosure sack of claim 11 further including a foot-end closure attachedto the foot-end opening.
 13. The hammock enclosure sack of claim 10where some of the fabric is waterproof and breathable.
 14. The hammockenclosure sack of claim 10 where some of the fabric is see-through meshand also keeps bugs out.
 15. A hammock enclosure sack comprising: anenclosure made of fabric where the enclosure can enclose a generallycylindrical volume and is open on the ends with a head-end openingopposite of a foot-end opening and the enclosure has a top half and abottom half that run between the head-end opening and foot-end opening,a head-end closure attached to the head-end opening where the head-endclosure includes a draw string, and a foot-end closure attached to thefoot-end opening, and the foot-end closure includes a draw string. 16.The hammock enclosure sack of claim 15 where the top half and bottomhalf is made of waterproof and breathable fabric.
 17. The hammockenclosure sack of claim 15 where the top half and the bottom half ismade of is see-through mesh.
 18. The hammock enclosure sack of claim 15where the top half is made of see-through mesh and the bottom half ismade of waterproof and breathable material.
 19. The hammock enclosuresack of claim 15 where the head-end closure can be closed by an occupantinside the hammock enclosure sack.
 20. The hammock enclosure sack ofclaim 19 where the foot-end closure also has a barrel clamp.